For those who love old-school JRPGs, Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake is a wonderful reminder of what made the franchise beloved in the first place. That being said, it’s old-school difficult, so here are some tips to help you get started on your quest to defeat Baramos.
When the game begins, the first thing you do is answer a series of questions from “She Who Watches Over All.” While the reason for this may not be clear, it’s to determine what your character’s personality will be. Personalities determine your overall stat growth, so the personality you’re assigned will greatly affect the Hero. You can change personalities if you have certain accessories equipped, but it would be easier to start a new file and retake the quiz to get your desired personality. If you had to choose one, the best personality in the game is “Vamp,” which can only be assigned to a female Hero, so go the female route if you want a chance for the best stat boosts.
While in Aliahan, you’ll be sent to Patty’s Party Planning Place, where Patty will assemble your party. However, you should ignore her and instead head to the second floor. Here, talk to the man behind the counter and you can build your own custom party with classes Patty doesn’t offer. Even if you decide to go with the classes that Patty suggests, doing so on the second floor will allow you to allocate stats to your party members and even influence their personalities, making them better than the ones available on the first floor. No matter what, though, make sure you choose a Priest so you have access to healing magic.
Equipment in Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake can be expensive, so getting ahold of powerful weapons early on is imperative. While exploring, you’ll want to track down two weapons – the Boomerang and the Thorn Whip. The Boomerang can be found in Dreamer’s Tower on the third floor in a chest, and the Thorn Whip can be acquired in Aliahan at the bottom of the well by giving two Mini Medals to Morgan Minimann. There are four Mini Medals in the opening hours – two in Aliahan and two in Dreamer’s Tower – and you’ll need two to get the Thorn Whip. Why are these items so good? They can attack multiple enemies at once, so giving one to the Hero and another to a strength-based character like a Warrior or Martial Artist is best!
While it’s a feature we mostly take for granted nowadays, certain RPGs may not let you control your party, leaving it to AI to control their behavior and which attacks/abilities they can use. While that is true for Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake, you’ll want to switch their behavior to “Follow Orders,” which can be done in the Tactics menu in combat. It’s a minor thing, but in the heat of battle, you’ll be grateful for the ability to command your party members.
This early in the game, enemies can easily gang up and deal massive damage if you’re unprepared. Fast travel isn’t a thing until you unlock the Zoom spell, which will most likely first be unlocked when the Hero reaches level 8. Until then, have a supply of Chimaera Wings on standby, which will allow you to fast-travel to locations you’ve previously visited, even if you’re in a dungeon. They’re only 25 gold coins and will save you a lot of time and frustration if you’re trying to keep weakened party members alive.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remakeis available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch.